Mumbai Travel Diaries

Mumbai holidays were great fun! A lifetime of memories and unbridled time with family. Something, I will always cherish. Here are some scattered tidbits of the time well spent.

The goodbyes were said, to the brother and the husband, who were not travelling with us. Leaving the Delhi airport for Mumbai was a mini-holiday in itself.

With rest of the family in tow, and the luggage, I tried to contain the overflowing excitement within me. The anticipation of a long family holiday ahead (15 days) with no stress looming on my head was the perfect escapade I needed. With a child-like joy, I wanted to live each moment to its fulfillment.

We reached Mumbai around 7 pm. An Uber till home, and soon we were securely settled in sister’s flat in Mallad West. All the fears about lack of space in flat were put to rest when I saw two huge windows overlooking the vast expanse of sky outside. I don’t mind small space but feel very claustrophobic in the absence of an open view, which fortunately was plenty here.

Our travel began the next day right away. We decided to seek divine blessings for an auspicious beginning by visiting Mumbai’s highly revered Ganesha, the Siddhivinayak Temple.  We had good ‘darshan’, without long queues.

It was followed by a visit to the Mahalaxmi temple, which had traditional compound-like premises. Long walking stretches, stairs, side stalls and in the end, idyllic beautiful scenery offering a cool breeze overlooking the temple.

The next destination was Haji Ali,  Mumbai’s most famous landmark. Hardly a few minutes drive from the Mahalaxmi temple, it was an experience of divinity soaked in sun-kissed waves.  Located on an islet in the Worli Bay, it offered an unparalleled view of sea on both sides of the walkway. Waves brushed past off the feet sprinkling water all over, symbolising the blessings from the sky being showered upon you.

The hard part was, the stench and the unhygienic surroundings, which lead to an ache in the heart to see such a marvel being wasted by humans. Leaving that aside, it was one of the most memorable experiences. Our timings added to the inner bliss. Watching the sunset coupled with the aura of the dusk made for a spectacle worth its grandeur.

The next and the last destination was Nariman Point. Alongside Queen’s necklace formation, we picked our spot; sat, rested, chitchatted and idled away the time. Just the way a day should end.

The special moment was when dad, while watching the waves, reminisced how he visited Mumbai while holidaying with his friends in 1977 (when he was a bachelor). The timeline made me zipped past through life, with a lump in my throat. 1977 — My bachelorette father (something I can never imagine), who had not yet my mother (aww), a year I was not born or was in my previous birth. My siblings still had many years to be born, and that this moment too will be a thing of the past in many years to come. Well, well, before that let’s holiday and make this life a little more worthwhile.